Abhatoo - Centre Nationale de Documentation

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the Moroccan economy hard, as elsewhere in the
world. A collapse in external demand and a lockdown lasting more than three months
have profoundly altered economic activity in Morocco, causing its first recession since
1995. The implementation of the confinement and social distancing measures was strict
and came two weeks after the detection of the first cases of COVID-19 in Morocco on
March 2, 2020. The lockdown was extended three times and lasted around 14 weeks.
This strategy prevented a sharp increase in cases in the early part of the pandemic, and
enabled the preparation of health infrastructure to deal with potentially more severe waves
of contamination. However, the price was the consequent economic downturn. What are
the daily economic costs of the control measures adopted in the country to prevent the
spread of COVID-19? What are the impacts of mitigation measures implemented by the
central government? How do flexibility measures affect the economic recovery? This
study quantifies the regional and sectoral economic impacts of preventive measures
related to the coronavirus pandemic in Morocco.